USA Cycling announces new single domestic racing license

It's hard to believe that the holiday season is upon us and another year is swiftly coming to a close. With the cyclo-cross season now in full swing, the calendar will soon be turning to 2014 and the Cyclo-cross National Championships in Boulder in early January will signal the start of another exciting year of domestic and international racing. Hopefully your goals are as ambitious as ours for the coming year!

The future is indeed looking bright for USA Cycling as we pursue our vision of making the U.S. the most successful country in the world of competitive cycling and our mission of achieving sustained success in international cycling competition while growing competitive cycling in America while delivering an exceptional customer experience.

In the past year we have launched two very important and innovative programs: the USA Cycling RaceClean™ and SafeSport programs will help ensure a level playing field across all racing categories, while also fostering a safe training and racing environment for all of our members. I hope you will join me in embracing and supporting these critical programs that will help shape the future of cycling in the United States.

In addition to new programs, we have also added several valuable partners to our member benefits portfolio, including Strava and Bonk Breaker, and continue to work with our many longstanding partners to provide you with additional tangible membership benefits. For example, Volkswagen, a top-tier sponsor of USA Cycling, is now offering all USAC members $500 off of the dealer invoice price of a new Volkswagen! To learn more about this and other great member benefit deals, visit our Member Benefits page.

I am also pleased to announce that, beginning in 2014, USA Cycling will consolidate domestic road, track, cyclo-cross and mountain bike racing licenses into a single domestic racing license that will now allow you to compete in any cycling discipline (except BMX). The move to a one-license model replaces the discipline-specific licenses for road, track, cyclo-cross and mountain bike, and will simplify and streamline the licensing process as well as the on-site event registration and check-in process. The new license model also means that you will no longer need to purchase an additional license or a one-day license in order to compete across disciplines (a one-day trial membership is still required for non-members).

The cost of the new annual domestic racing license will be $70 and will represent a savings for our many members who held multiple-discipline licenses in the past. It will also be the first change in license fees implemented by USA Cycling in 10 years.

For non-members, the cost of a one-day trial membership for road, track and cyclo-cross will increase to $15 in 2014. The cost of a one-day trial membership for mountain bike will increase to $10 and will be required for anyone without an annual license who wishes to enter Cat 2 and 3 mountain bike races. The cost of a one-day trial membership can be applied toward the purchase of an annual license. For a complete list of 2014 license fees click HERE.

Feedback from a recent USA Cycling membership survey revealed that many of you currently enjoy riding in several different disciplines, and the majority of you would like to race in multiple disciplines. As a result, this move to one license better reflects the makeup of our current cycling community that is multi-disciplined and not as compartmentalized as in the past. We also believe this change will encourage more of you to try new events and enjoy the thrill of racing even more.

And remember, your USA Cycling membership is more than just a license to race. As a member, you also enjoy all of these benefits as well:

The chance to participate in over 3,100 competitive and non-competitive events that take place year-round at the local, regional, and national levels

A new and improved national results and rankings system that allows you to predict race winners and also track the results of your top rivals and prey

As a final reminder, all riders must have a 2014 USA Cycling annual license to compete in any championship race at the Cyclo-cross National Championships. 2014 licenses will go on sale on December 1 and you may register for the event prior to Dec. 1 ONLY if you have a 2013 annual racing license. If you don't have a 2013 annual racing license, you can register after purchasing your 2014 license on Dec. 1.

I look forward to seeing many more of you out on the race courses in 2014, taking full advantage of the new, single domestic racing license and giving a new discipline or two a try. It should be an exciting year ahead!

Sincerely,

Steve Johnson
President & CEO
USA Cycling

This Article Published November 26, 2013
For more information contact: kkahn -at- usacycling dot org

USA Cycling is the official governing body for all disciplines of competitive cycling in the United States. The 501c3, membership-based organization aims both to achieve sustained success in international cycling competition and to grow competitive cycling in America while delivering an exceptional customer experience.View Children's Online Privacy Protection Policy